Tuesday, May 20, 2014

A year ago today, one of the most destructive tornadoes in the United States' history struck the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore. The twister was measured as an EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with peak winds estimated at 210 mph.

The funnel was more than a mile wide at one point, stayed on the ground for 39 minutes and ripped through 17 miles of the Sooner State. Twenty-four people lost their lives. Almost 400 were injured.

My brother was in the area of the 1999 storm, but thankfully not in its direct path. My parents spent almost three decades in western Oklahoma, dodging spring storms of their own. And I still have friends in the Sooner State. I know while the scars will remain, the state's residents are resilient and will make it back from this tragedy.

Unfortunately, devastating weather is a regular occurrence in every state. And folks who live in Tornado Alley, which seems to be expanding every eyar, know that they must keep an eye n the skies and and ears alert for storm sirens.

In just the last week, terrifying looking storms threatened parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.

A day earlier and a tad further west, the Norman, Oklahoma-based Basehunters created the epic time-lapse video below of a storm moving from Wright to Newcastle in northwestern Wyoming.

Remember these photos and videos the next time you're sitting through an action movie. Mother Nature truly is hands down the best special effects wizard ever. You can see more of her work in the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang collection of recent storm photos.

Earlier storms, damage, tax relief: Mother Nature was in a worse mood last month. In April she whacked several states with severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding.

The outbreaks were bad enough that the Internal Revenue Service is offering residents of several states some tax relief.

Specifically, affected taxpayers have more time to file any tax material that might have been or is coming due. In most cases, filers now have until Oct. 15 to file required tax paperwork.

Uncle Sam's tax collector also it cutting relief workers in the disaster areas some slack. Volunteers and others affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization that is providing relief services in the covered disaster areas also are entitled to the same tax relief.

It typically takes a while for information to filter through the federal system, so you can check the IRS' special Web page where it updates disaster tax relief as necessary.

Daily Tax Tip

Did you miss a daily tip posted above? No worries. They're collected in the 2015 Daily Tax Tips pages, one for each month of the filing season: January, February, March and, coming soon, April. And stay tuned for Weekly Tax Tips, coming after we survive the April 15 filing deadline!

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Counting Down to Tax Day

Tax filing day 2015 will be here before you know it, but our countdown clock to the 11:59 p.m. April 15 deadline will help make sure you don't miss it.

Time for Tax Tasks

March 1: It's March, the last full month of tax-filing season. Are you attacking your tax return like a lion? Or have the Internal Revenue Code's complexities turned you into a tax lamb?

Either way, you're at the right place. The following tax tips are for filers regardless of March animal avatars.

If so and you received $20 in tips in February, use Form 4070 to report them today to your employer. And don't forget to include the value of atypical tips.

March 16: Business filers generally beware the Ides of March because the 15th day of this month also is the corporate tax filing deadline, which can be dangerous to a company's bottom line. This year, however, the deadline day was on a Sunday, meaning that business taxpayers must file and pay any due tax by today.

March 17: It's St. Patrick's Day! But don't trust lucky charms to get you through a tax audit. Be prepared by, among other things, making sure you have sufficient documentation for all your tax claims and hiring a tax pro with audit defense experience to guide you through the process.

March 20: Spring has sprung! Not only is it time to finally welcome warmer weather, any spring cleaning also could pay off on your 2015 tax return. Get rid of all your unnecessary household items and clothes that no longer fit by donating them to your favorite nonprofit. You can claim the value as an itemized charitable deduction.

March 25: If you celebrated your 70½ birthday last year (and who doesn't have parties for half birthdays?) and didn't take money out of your tax-deferred retirement accounts by the end of 2014, you must make a specified withdrawal by April 1. No joke. These required minimum distributions, or RMDs, are Uncle Sam's way of finally getting his piece of your traditional IRA, workplace 401(k) or self-employed retirement plan pie.

March 31: You've put the finishing touches on your 1040 and are finally ready to file. Wait! Take one quick review of your forms to ensure you haven't overlooked any tax breaks or made any common tax mistakes. All's good? Then drop your return in the snail mail box or hit enter to e-file.

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Keep Uncle Sam cranky!

It's no wonder Uncle Sam is not very happy here. His vault is empty. Don't Mess With Taxes aims to keep him cranky by providing tax and personal finance tips and advice that will put more money in your bank account, not the government treasury.

I gotta tell ya ...

AKA Disclaimer:

I am a professional journalist who has been covering tax issues since 1999. I am not a professional tax preparer. The content on Don't Mess With Taxes is my personal opinion based on my study and understanding of tax laws, policies and regulations. It’s provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It’s not a recommendation of any specific tax action(s) you should take. Similarly, mentions of products or services are not endorsements. In other words, my ramblings on the ol' blog are free advice and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it comes to filing your taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent or other qualified tax professional who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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